Abstract: A switching element that has reduced switching voltage and leakage current and that demonstrates high reliability and low power consumption is achieved as a result of comprising: a first insulation layer in which first wiring mainly consisting of copper is embedded in a first wiring groove that opens upward; a second insulation layer which is formed on an upper surface of the first insulation layer and the first wiring and has an opening that reaches the first insulation layer and the first wiring; a first electrode which is the portion of the first wiring that is exposed from the opening; an oxygen supply layer which is formed on an upper surface of the second insulation layer, generates oxygen plasma during etching to form the opening in the second insulation layer, and remains at least in the vicinity of the opening of the upper surface of the second insulation layer; an ion conducting layer which is formed on the upper surface of the first insulation layer and the first electrode that are exposed from the

Abstract: Provided are a rewrite method for a variable resistance element that increases a rewrite count, and a non-volatile storage device using the variable resistance element. In the rewrite method for the variable resistance element, a variable resistance layer is disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, and a write voltage is applied between the first electrode and the second electrode, thereby causing the resistance between the first electrode and the second electrode to reversibly change. After writing to the variable resistance element, the variable resistance element is read, the read current is measured, the measured read current is compared with a reference current, a condition of the writing is changed on the basis of the comparison results, and thereafter writing to the variable resistance element is performed again.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer disposed on the first insulation layer and having an opening on an upper surface of the second insulation layer, a first electrode embedded in the second insulation layer and having an end exposed at the opening, a variable-resistance layer disposed on the first electrode and the second insulation layer in at least one region inside and around the opening, and a second electrode disposed on the variable-resistance layer. The opening and the second electrode are formed in a shape stretched in at least one axial direction.

Abstract: Provided is a rectifying element that prevents erroneous writing and an erroneous operation and that is substituted for a select transistor; a rewritable semiconductor device that uses a nonvolatile switch including the rectifying element and having excellent reliability, a small area, and low power consumption has a stacked structure of a first electrode 11, a first buffer layer 14, a rectifying layer 13, a second buffer layer 15, and a second electrode 12; and the rectifying layer 13 comprises a first silicon nitride layer 16 having a high nitrogen content (50 atm % or more) and second silicon nitride layers 17A and 17B having a lower nitrogen content than the first silicon nitride layer 16 (50 atm % or less), wherein the second silicon nitride layers 17A and 17B are in contact with the first and second buffer layers (14, 15), respectively, and the first silicon nitride layer 16 is sandwiched between the second silicon nitride layers 17A and 17B.

Abstract: Provided are: a semiconductor device in which a non-volatile switch provided with a rectifying element and a non-volatile element provided with no rectifying element are formed in the same wiring; and a method for producing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first switching element and a second switching element disposed in a signal path of a logic circuit. The first switching element includes a rectifying element and a variable resistance element. The second switching element does not include the rectifying element but includes a variable resistance element. The first switching element and the second switching element are formed in the same wiring layer.

Abstract: A switch circuit includes: a plurality of four-terminal switches having variable-resistance elements and a rectifier element serially connected; an input line and an output line, at least one of which is multiply present, to which are connected terminals of two switches other than terminals at which the variable-resistance terminals are serially connected; and a control line to which are connected the terminals of the two switches other than the terminals at which the rectifier elements are serially connected, the control line, together with the input line and the output line, turning on and off in turn, by pair, the pair of variable-resistance elements connected to the input line and the pair of variable-resistance elements connected to the output line, among the variable-resistance elements of the plurality of four-terminal switches of the four-terminal switches connected to the input line or the output line.

Abstract: A switch circuit includes: a plurality of four-terminal switches having variable-resistance elements and a rectifier element serially connected; an input line and an output line, at least one of which is multiply present, to which are connected terminals of two switches other than terminals at which the variable-resistance terminals are serially connected; and a control line to which are connected the terminals of the two switches other than the terminals at which the rectifier elements are serially connected, the control line, together with the input line and the output line, turning on and off in turn, by pair, the pair of variable-resistance elements connected to the input line and the pair of variable-resistance elements connected to the output line, among the variable-resistance elements of the plurality of four-terminal switches of the four-terminal switches connected to the input line or the output line.

Abstract: In switching elements each using a two-terminal-type variable resistance element, improper writing or any improper operation is often caused and the reliability of the switching elements cannot be improved easily. A switching element according to the present invention is equipped with a first variable resistance element equipped with a first input/output terminal and a first connection terminal, a second variable resistance element equipped with a second input/output terminal and a second connection terminal, and a rectifying element equipped with a control terminal and a third connection terminal, wherein the first connection terminal, the second connection terminal and the third connection terminal are connected to one another.

Abstract: A variable resistance element according to the present invention comprises a configuration in which an ion conduction layer is arranged between an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein a recess part is formed on a surface of the lower electrode of the variable resistance element, and the ion conduction layer is formed in contact with at least the recess part on a surface of the lower electrode.

Abstract: Provided are: a semiconductor device in which a non-volatile switch provided with a rectifying element and a non-volatile element provided with no rectifying element are formed in the same wiring; and a method for producing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first switching element and a second switching element disposed in a signal path of a logic circuit. The first switching element includes a rectifying element and a variable resistance element. The second switching element does not include the rectifying element but includes a variable resistance element. The first switching element and the second switching element are formed in the same wiring layer.

Abstract: Provided is a rectifying element that prevents erroneous writing and an erroneous operation and that is substituted for a select transistor; a rewritable semiconductor device that uses a nonvolatile switch including the rectifying element and having excellent reliability, a small area, and low power consumption has a stacked structure of a first electrode 11, a first buffer layer 14, a rectifying layer 13, a second buffer layer 15, and a second electrode 12; and the rectifying layer 13 comprises a first silicon nitride layer 16 having a high nitrogen content (50 atm % or more) and second silicon nitride layers 17 having a lower nitrogen content than the first silicon nitride layer 16 (50 atm % or less), wherein the second silicon nitride layers 17 are in contact with the first and second buffer layers (14, 15), respectively, and the first silicon nitride layer 16 is sandwiched between the second silicon nitride layers 17.

Abstract: In order to improve the number rewrites by improving the dielectric breakdown resistance of an ion conducting layer in a variable resistance element, this variable resistance element is provided with: a first electrode that contains at least copper; a second electrode that contains at least Ru, nitrogen and a first metal; and an ion conducting layer that is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a multilevel wiring layer structure on the semiconductor substrate; and a variable resistance element in the multilevel wiring layer structure, wherein the variable resistance element comprises a variable resistance element film whose resistance changes between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein the multilevel wiring layer structure comprises at least a wiring electrically connected to the bottom electrode and a plug electrically connected to the top electrode, and wherein the wiring also serves as the bottom electrode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-volatile switching element that can be applied to a programmable-logic wiring changeover switch and in which an electrochemical reaction is used. Of the two electrodes for applying a bias voltage to the variable resistance layer of the non-volatile switching element, the electrode that does not feed metal ions to the variable resistance layer when the switch is in the ON state is made from a ruthenium alloy. The ruthenium alloy includes ruthenium and a metal in which the standard Gibbs energy of forming ?G when metal ions are generated from the metal is higher in the negative direction than ?G of ruthenium. As a result, it becomes possible to maintain the low-resistance state in the ON state for a longer period of time without increasing the amount of electrical current required when a switch is made between the ON state and the OFF state.

Abstract: In order to improve the number rewrites by improving the dielectric breakdown resistance of an ion conducting layer in a variable resistance element, this variable resistance element is provided with: a first electrode that contains at least copper; a second electrode that contains at least Ru, nitrogen and a first metal; and an ion conducting layer that is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: To provide a switching element having excellent operational stability and a high production yield, and a semiconductor device using the switching element, a switching element according to this invention includes a non-volatile resistive-change element, a rectifying element, and an insulating material. The non-volatile resistive-change element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a non-volatile resistive-change layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The rectifying element includes the second electrode, a third electrode, and a volatile resistive-change layer provided between the second electrode and the third electrode. The insulating material is provided at least on the side surface of the third electrode.

Abstract: A variable resistance element according to the present invention comprises a configuration in which an ion conduction layer is arranged between an upper electrode and a lower electrode, wherein a recess part is formed on a surface of the lower electrode of the variable resistance element, and the ion conduction layer is formed in contact with at least the recess part on a surface of the lower electrode.

Abstract: Provided is a nonvolatile switching element which has high retention ability even if programmed at a low current, while being suppressed in dielectric breakdown of a variable resistance layer during a reset operation. This switching element is provided with: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a variable resistance layer that is arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode and has ion conductivity. The first electrode contains a metal which generates metal ions that can be conducted in the variable resistance layer. The second electrode is provided with: a first electrode layer that is formed in contact with the variable resistance layer; and a second electrode layer that is formed in contact with the first electrode layer. The first electrode layer is formed of a ruthenium alloy that contains ruthenium and a first metal having a larger standard Gibbs energy of formation of oxide than ruthenium in the negative direction.

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a multilevel wiring layer structure on the semiconductor substrate; and a variable resistance element in the multilevel wiring layer structure, wherein the variable resistance element comprises a variable resistance element film whose resistance changes between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein the multilevel wiring layer structure comprises at least a wiring electrically connected to the bottom electrode and a plug electrically connected to the top electrode, and wherein the wiring also serves as the bottom electrode

Abstract: A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate; a multilevel wiring layer structure on the semiconductor substrate; and a variable resistance element in the multilevel wiring layer structure, wherein the variable resistance element comprises a variable resistance element film whose resistance changes between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein the multilevel wiring layer structure comprises at least a wiring electrically connected to the bottom electrode and a plug electrically connected to the top electrode, and wherein the wiring also serves as the bottom electrode.